M-R-I Gotta Get One of These.

When it comes to getting a break from the kids, I'll take one any way I can.  Often these respites from my fatherly duties are free of charge---courtesy of MeMaw.  Today, my break cost thousands of dollars.

The most peaceful rest I've had since school let out.

Recent back pain and a foot that's been asleep for two months (at least part of me is getting rest) led me to an MRI today.  Sure it's expensive, but it's also an hour and a half that I'm not fulfilling requests and listening to sibling rivalries.

Instead, I was inserted into a giant tube with approximately two inches of breathing space and moving room around my body.  When I first began my joy ride into the beast, the tech told me that my shoulders would be smashed together at first.  "Don't worry", she said, "Once you get in all the way it opens up a little bit."

Little bit indeed.  Thankfully, my claustrophobia took a back seat to the gentle jack-hammering sounds of the magnet.  If you've never had an MRI, just imagine yourself riding in a helicopter while listening to a Fatboy Slim record.  You're not sure whether you're hearing the thip-thip-thip of the copter's blades or whether the record is stuck, but either way, it's better than listening to your kids.

It's the most peace I've had since school let out for the summer.  And, since I don't own a helicopter (yet) or an MRI machine,  I'll be blasting The Rockafeller Skank until school starts back up.